Pakistan, Russia, China discuss Afghanistan reconciliation

Pakistan, China and Russia have been discussing how to bring stability to war-torn Afghanistan.

Asia-Pacific

21 Kasım 2013 Perşembe 10:01

World Bulletin / News Desk

Officials from Pakistan, Russia and China met in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Wednesday to discuss developments regarding the reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

"The three parties noted that the situation in Afghanistan, particularly in the run-up to 2014, had important bearing on regional peace and stability," Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a statement obtained by Anadolu Agency.

The US-led foreign forces are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014.

"The three parties reaffirmed their support for an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process and underlined the importance of intensified efforts in that direction," said the statement.

Emphasizing the inextricable link between peace, security and development, they stressed the need for deeper engagement of the international community in the economic development of Afghanistan.

The three countries also agreed to strengthen the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Afghanistan.

The Russian and Chines officials lauded constructive engagement and increased high-level exchanges between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Russian delegation was led by Ambassador Zamir Kabulov, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Afghanistan.

The Chinese delegation was headed by Huang Xilian, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The next round of dialogue between the three countries is scheduled to be hosted by Moscow in the first half of 2014.